President Obama will hold a press conference Wednesday at 1:00 PM

What will/should the President say?

The President will try to establish a tone that is positive and upbeat to contrast with those who will say his presidency is finished and that Obama should be suicidal. He must seem mildly chastened, but still seem powerful, in control and filled with historical perspective. Expect to hear references to Clinton and his mid-term losses in 1994 and Reagan’s losses in 1982.

Also, expect the following:

1. Obama will congratulate the Republicans.
2. He will express a willingness to work with them to make government run more efficiently and improve the economy.
3. He will remind everyone that he has a veto pen and will be prepared to use it.
4. He will avoid the blunder made by Clinton in 94 who sounded defensive when he said the presidency was still constitutionally relevant.
5. He will not in any way apologize for his health care law or financial reform law.
6. He will remind people that Democrats control 100% of the Executive branch of government and 50% of the legislative branch of government (so it’s not a new Republican-led Washington).
7. He will interpret the message of the election as one of bigger and faster change and he will claim that he wants to be a part of this; in fact it was his idea all along.
8. He will announce some new initiative that doesn’t require big tax expenditure and ask republicans to join him. He wasn’t and needs to be seen showing leadership on policy now, especially if it doesn’t fit into the category of something that could be characterized as a “big government” program.